Takoradi, Dec. 31, GNA - The Most Rev. Bishop John Martin Darko, Catholic Bishop of the Sekondi/Takoradi Diocese on Thursday called on Ghanaians to abandon their parochial interests and forge ahead as a family to achieve peace and national development. "If we want peace, we must avoid all acts that threaten peace in our country and the greed for power, money and wealth," he said. Rev. Darko made the call in a message to mark the New Year in Takoradi on the theme: "Fighting Poverty to Build, Protect the Environment." He warned against the destruction of the environment for transitory gains, saying out of man's greed for quick wealth he is burning the forest and destroying the vegetation to extract minerals and devastating the ozone layer.

Rev. Darko said Ghanaians must seek God's grace to enable them to embrace the blessings of 2010, adding: "We must also make an undertaking to avoid attacks on one another for political and ethnic reasons." He noted that globalisation, the World Economic Order and politics had contributed to the lack of peace in the world. Rev. Darko noted that the world authorities are taking economic and political decisions without reference to social ethics. He charged Christians to have faith in God and be disciplined in their quest to achieve success, peace and prosperity in 2010.